New York Judge Rules NSA Phone Surveillance is Legal

A federal judge in New York has ruled that a massive federal phone-tracking program is legal.

U.S. District Judge William Pauley issued the decision today (Friday) saying the program "represents the government's counter-punch" to eliminate al-Qaida's terror network by connecting fragmented and fleeting communications.

He dismissed a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union which has not responded to a message from ABC News for comment.